Martial Solal, En Solo (side A)

I first encountered Solal playing a duet with Lee Konitz at the Chicago Jazz Festival.  I was unaware that they'd been regular collaborators for many years, nor that Solal composed the soundtrack for A bout de souffle.  While I think of him as a lyrical player, En Solo, a 1971 concert recording, reflects a nice breadth to his performance and composing.  He often uses his melodic foundations as a base for more abstract explorations of interlocking rhythms, and pieces often evolve in unexpected ways from these foundations.  He employs a consistent  approach to his original compositions and the two standards found here.  En Solo sounds great for a live recording, with a nice natural space around the piano.  The bright tinting of the cover photo and distinctive orange font make the layout memorable without compromising the classic pianist portrait on the cover.